After the demise of Jayalalithaa, Karunas has been keeping away from politics and focusing on cinema. I spoke to Karunas who has finished acting in the film ‘Aadhaar’ as the protagonist.
What about your wife Grace?
“Grace is my strength. When the husband is a failure, an upset, a slump, the wife should comfort him. At times like these, Grace would give me a hundred Sawaran, even two hundred Sawaran as a pawn. Even if it comes to the situation that I have to pay off my debt by selling those jewels, tell me, ‘Sell or sell… no other thing is important apart from your respect’. When I got married to Grace, we drove a Kinetic Honda bike in Chennai. We used to buy takeaway food for seven or eight rupees in a small hotel, and I came to this place only from that place.
I am from a village where there is no way out. But they are not like that. She is a comfortable housewife. But all this is possible because of true love. By sharing in my pain and happiness, whenever I had financial losses, I was free from those troubles. I earned by working honestly. A film called ‘Dindigul Sarathi’ appeared on Sun TV and made me a member of the legislature.
Why do you always talk about Chennai proudly in all your interviews?
“No one can love the people of Chennai as much as I do. Why, this town has given me so much. hold up Many people have come to Chennai to work. Have developed.. But, has anyone thanked this Chennai? No one I know says thank you. That’s why I wrote a song thanking Chennai in my film. I told Vairamuthu. He wrote ‘Annai Pertal Anpal Me, Chennai Thanada II Annai’. Even though he wrote it, I was the one who asked him to write such a song! Don’t I have to prove myself that I am not ungrateful! Because, it can be said that it is wise to say that Chennai will make Vandar live. Or let’s say cheating. No, even a broad minded person can say.
99 percent of the people who came to Chennai came from abroad and have progressed. Chennai did not produce a Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. Everyone from Omanturar to Jayalalithamma must have come here from somewhere. All the big companies here are from abroad. However, let’s see what the people here are doing.”
Why did you change your original name Karunanidhi to Karunas?
Karunanidhi’s name at home. But then I was poor. What is Karunanidhi for a person who has no funds? There is a reason why I changed the name. Karunanidin, the artist comes to mind. He was a great personality. You cannot forget his history, activities and achievements for a hundred years. So Karunanithin’s achievements in cinema are known. So, our name is Mathiyakanume… our father’s name is Sethu. So, from Karunanidhi to Karuna, I then picked up my instinctive ‘S’s and put them after my name. Karunas has arrived. The name and sound are new. I have become Karunas!”